Denver-based
MapQuest is forging a new path with a highly-ranked mobile app,
Commute, and is on the road to create new jobs.
Released in September, the Commute app for iOS, Android and Windows devices from the first Internet mapping company was born out of a 24-hour hackathon. It uses real-time traffic data and push messages to help people better plan their travel routes -- even during rush hour.
"We had come up with this idea of how we could get more activity with our navigation app," explains MapQuest General Manager Brian McMahon. "It gives proactive notifications for your daily commute."
Commute also lets users know when they'll arrive at their destination based on their commuting patterns and traffic information along with road and weather conditions. In the newest iOS 8 version, it also offers users alternate routes when traffic is bad.
MapQuest has also made a strong push into content creation in recent years. It recently developed a Major League Baseball stadium guide and integrated with Yelp in 2010.
Those moves are help setting the company up for future growth in Denver. Since 2012, the company has brought on 30 new employees bringing its total to more than 110 employees, about 65 of them in Denver.
"We're having great luck [hiring in Denver]," McMahon says. "The level of talent we're getting here is phenomenal."
The company will hire 20 more employees in Denver in the near future, he adds. McMahon says MapQuest will continue to invest in its free navigation apps, and also recently launched an enhanced voice guide and alternate route features in its navigation apps.
Contact Confluence Denver Innovation & Jobs News Editor Chris Meehan with tips and leads for future stories at chris@confluence-denver.com.
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